The Definition of a Sociopath
by Lo613
Summary: Lestrade and Sherlock have a talk about sociopaths and what it means to be one. Post Riechenbach, some spoilers.


**I give to you; Words! Exciting, isn't it?! Enjoy! Disclaimer- Just borrowing. For a really long time. With no intention of ever giving any part of it back.**

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Lestrade watched Sherlocks and Andersons ugly exchange of words. To be fair to the both of them, whoever started the arguments seemed to be split down the middle, Sherlock starting them half of the time, Anderson the other half. Anderson had started it this time. What he had said, Lestrade didn't know. But now Sherlock was firing back with incredibly elaborate, yet surprising simple, deductions.

" -And so, anybody could see that your activities involved Sergent Donovan. Clearly." Sherlock finished. Anderson smirked .

" Psychopath." He declared loudly. Sherlock looked visibly affronted.

"...Sociopath, Anderson, not psychopath. Get your facts straight." He declared, turning and walking over to Lestrade. " Right, Detective Inspector, we've got a case to solve." He said, speaking briskly. The pair walked down the hallway and turned into Lestrades office. Sherlock closed the door.

" Okay-" He began. Lestrade cut him off.

" You've got to stop doing that." He said.

" Doing what?" The Detective asked, genuinely confused as to what Lestrade was referring to.

" Calling yourself a sociopath. People will start to believe it." Lestrade replied.

" Well what's wrong with that?" Sherlock asked, sitting down. Lestrade took a seat at his desk, opposite of Sherlock.

" Nothing. Well, it would be nothing. Except you're not a sociopath, Sherlock."

Sherlock snorted.

" The what do you call me?!" He asked, disbelieving. Lestrade shrugged.

" I don't know. Antisocial, maybe."

" I'm a bit more than antisocial, Lestrade." Retorted Sherlock, skepticism clear in his voice.

" Yeah. Yeah, you are. But sociopaths sure as hell don't throw themselves off buildings to save their friends. Sociopaths don't _have_ friends. So what does that make you?" Lestrade challenged.

Silence.

" Exactly." The DI said triumphantly. So what _I_ want to know, is why you label yourself as a sociopath."

Sherlock sat silently for a moment, not exactly willing to answer.

"...Because it's the easiest thing to explain." He eventually replied. Lestrade raised an eyebrow.

" I'm sorry? What's that mean?"

" Use your brain, Lestrade." Sherlock snapped.

"...So what is it then? You don't want to explain to people that you don't like them? That you're antisocial? I've never seen you have a problem with that before.I mean, you've gotten into fistfights cause you've said things like that."

A bit of a smile graced Sherlocks features as he remembered said fights. After a quick second, it disappeared.

" No, you're right. It's not that." The Detective replied quietly.

" The what is it, Sherlock?" Lestrade prompted.

" It's- it's a sort of cover up." Sherlock mumbled. Lestrade eyebrows drew together.

" A cover up? What? You're not making sense."

" I'm making perfect sense, Inspector, you're just not keeping up."

Lestrade rubs his face and looks back up at the younger man.

" Okay then." He said. " Give me a clue."

" Lestrade, what would be the most embarrassing, hard to live down, thing for me? Hmm?"

Lestrade smiled some, unable to see where this was going.

" Ummm...Being wrong. You being wrong about something. Anything about you not being perfect." He responded. Sherlock nodded.

" Exactly." He confirmed.

" Alright. What's your point?"

Sherlock hesitated.

" It- there's something wrong with me, Lestrade. Anderson and Donovan, and the rest of the Yard would never let me forget it if they knew."

" And John?" Lestrade asked.

"...John wouldn't mind. I don't think he suspects, but if i were to tell him, he would understand perfectly."

" Well, what is it?" Lestarde inquired, a slight tone of impatience entering his voice. Sherlock swallowed hard, then muttered something so quietly that Lestrade couldn't quite make it out.

" Say it again, Sherlock. Louder this time." He requested. Sherlock sniffed.

"...Aspergers." He admitted. A look of surprise passed over Lestrades face.

" Aspergers?" He repeated. Sherlock nodded. " Like...the autism?"

" Congratulations, Inspector." Sherlock retorts quickly. Lestrade chooses to ignore the comment.

" It's a type of high functioning autism, yeah?"

Anther nod, and Lestrade is able to put some pieces together.

" So you call yourself a high functioning sociopath as opposed to high functioning autistic?" He asked.

" That would be correct, Lestrade." Sherlock confirmed.

"...Why?" The DI inquired. Sherlock shrugged.

" Like I said, being a sociopath is easier to explain that having Aspergers."

" How?"

" People want to believe that I'm a sociopath to explain my character."

" And you don't want to admit that you're autistic?"

Sherlock nodded stiffly, and Lestrade continued.

" You don't want to be rejected."

The Detective stared.

" I wasn't aware that you've acquired a degree in psychology, Inspector." He commented cooly.

" Just answer the question."

" When you ask a question, most of the time at least, your voice raises up at the end-"

" Sherlock! Stop stalling!" Lestrade demanded. Sherlock looked slightly surprised.

" I-...Yes. I don't want people's false sympathy, or anything like that. People don't sympathize for a sociopath. It works for me. Do you see?"

" I think so." The DI replied. And he sort of does. He can't imagine Sherlock wanting people to feel sorry for him. So he nods, signifying that he does understand, and at the same moment, ge makes the unspoken promise that he would never speak a word of Sherlocks condition to anyone else. Sherlock seems to receive this message and relaxes some. The matter is over and the two can return to their case.

But, from then on, whenever Sherlock calls himself a sociopath while in Lestrades presence, the DI can't help the slight wince that works its way over him.

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